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Many people do not realise they have the STI, but the NHS has said some symptoms to look out for are pain when urinating and unusual discharge from the vagina, penis or rectum.

For womenm they can experience pain in their tummy, bleeding during or after sex and bleeding between periods.

For men, they can experience pain and swelling the testicles.

If it is left untreated, it can lead to long-term health problems including pelvic inflammatory disease, reactive arthritis and infertility.

What is chlamydia?

Caused by the bacterium chlamydia trachomatis, it’s one of the UK’s most common infections, with 203,116 cases in 2017 – that’s 48% of all STI diagnoses.

Vaginal bacteria leaves women most at risk, with 115,672 cases in 2017 compared to 85,647 in men.

One reason it’s so prevalent is that most people won’t get any symptoms, as the bacteria only causes issues in around 25% of women and 50% of men. “Where symptoms are apparent, women might have bleeding after sex and between periods, while both men and women might experience pain urinating,” says GP Dr Philippa Kaye.

If left untreated with antibiotics, it can cause infertility. “It sets up an inflammatory process in the body,” says Dr Kaye.

“This increases the chances of having an ectopic pregnancy – where the embryo settles in the tubes rather than your womb. This can be life-threatening and can damage your tubes.”

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